Robert "Bob" Nesta Marley is the greatest ever reggae singer.  He spread reggae and his message of love and unity to a worldwide audience. His live performances were legendary for their passion and energy. Marley’s album ‘Exodus’ was voted by ‘Time’ magazine as the best of the 20th Century. The BBC declared his song ‘One Love’ as the song of the millennium.

 

Marley was born in 1945 in a small village in Jamaica to a white father and black mother. The racist bullying he received as a child had an impact on his songwriting. He left school at the age of 14 to make music. He met members of his future band The Wailers at a jam session. It took several years before they became famous.

 

The Wailers' first album ‘Catch a Fire’ was released in 1973 and sold well. Another album followed a year later which included the song ‘I Shot The Sheriff’. Eric Clapton’s cover of the song in 1974 brought Marley a lot of global attention. In 1975, Marley released his breakthrough song ‘No Woman, No Cry’, still regarded as a classic today.

 

Marley left Jamaica for England in 1976 to record his ‘Exodus’ and ‘Kaya’ albums. He toured the world and performed to campaign against apartheid in South Africa and to celebrate Zimbabwe’s independence. He died of cancer in 1981, aged 36. He was given a state funeral in Jamaica according to the Rastafari tradition. He continues to be an important influence on today’s music.